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Waitomo Eco Adventure Glowworm Cave Tour
5.0
368 Ratings
Te Kuiti
Embark on an intimate, personalised, and eco-friendly adventure in Waitomo Glowworm Caving. Discover amazing glow worm displays, away from the crowds, with small group sizes and a family-owned experience.
Embark on an intimate, personalised, and eco-friendly adventure in Waitomo Glowworm Caving. Discover amazing glow worm displays, away from the crowds, with small group sizes and a family-owned experience.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Down to Earth - Eco Cave Tours In Waitomo - 1199 Oparure Road, Maungarongapu Cave
- Down to Earth - Eco Cave Tours In Waitomo - 1199 Oparure Road, Maungarongapu Cave
What's Included
- Guided caving tour with a knowledgeable local guide
- All necessary caving equipment provided
- Warm clothing supplied, including thermal top, pants, fleece, and more
- Refreshments with tea, coffee, and snack
- Complimentary photo email post-tour
- Authentic Kiwi hospitality experience
- Guided caving tour with a knowledgeable local guide
- All necessary caving equipment provided
- Warm clothing supplied, including thermal top, pants, fleece, and more
- Refreshments with tea, coffee, and snack
- Complimentary photo email post-tour
- Authentic Kiwi hospitality experience
What's Not Included
- We can not pick up or drop off. There is no public transport so you will need to have your own transport to 1199 Oparure Road.
- We can not pick up or drop off. There is no public transport so you will need to have your own transport to 1199 Oparure Road.
Additional Information
Experience the highest-ranked, most private, and most bespoke glow worm cave trip in Waitomo.
Our exceptional Waitomo experience is concealed “off the popular path” on our family-owned farm, and we thrive on its seclusion. This aspect is highly appreciated by our visitors as well.
Our “Radiant” Features:
• Breathtaking view of glow worms!
• Balanced…
Experience the highest-ranked, most private, and most bespoke glow worm cave trip in Waitomo.
Our exceptional Waitomo experience is concealed “off the popular path” on our family-owned farm, and we thrive on its seclusion. This aspect is highly appreciated by our visitors as well.
Our “Radiant” Features:
• Breathtaking view of glow worms!
• Balanced dose of adventure
• Distanced from the masses
• Limited group capacity
• Photography allowed
• Genuine eco-friendly voyage
• Run by a family
• Inclusive of photographs, tea, coffee, and snacks
• The top-rated tour in the Waitomo District according to Trip Advisor
- This tour is NOT suitable for elderly people or anyone with mobility difficulties as it involves climbing/balancing over boulders, walking up hills and wading through streams with rocks underfoot.
- Maximum of 8 people per tour.
- Minimum age is 12 years.
- Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
- A reasonable/good level of fitness is required.
- Tours may be cancelled in case of flooding. In the unlikely event that your tour is cancelled, you’ll receive a full refund.
- NO large cameras or tripods. Phones or pocket sized cameras are welcome.
- Not recommended for travelers with a low level of fitness
Location
1199 Oparure Road
Oparure Road
1199 Oparure Road, follow the signs.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(368 Ratings)
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Cristina_m
Apr 27, 2025
Absolutely amazing - A unique must do experience! Our guide Ash took us to an adventurous tour down the caves, I must say the walk though the cave wasn’t easy but Ash made it easy and safe enough for everyone to participate. Trust me, the walk was so worth in the end as you get to admire the thousands of glow worms forming a night sky under the earth.
Review provided by Viator
Kirstyjanette
Apr 22, 2025
Beat the crowds and with this unforgettable experience - This was a truly once in a lifetime experience.
All the equipment/clothing is provided and the only source of light in the caves is that of your headtorch. There are no manmade paths or walkways (other than the steps down to the caves) so Ash navigated us over the rocks and river through the cave. At no point did it feel rushed either as some parts were trickier to get through and needed more patience
It was amazing to traverse through the cave system and experience something so untouched by humans. The glowworms were awesome, but the experience as a whole was exceptional
You get to beat the crowds of the main caves as it is literally only the people on tour and Ash there. There’s towels provided to shower after too, plus hot drinks and biscuits afterwards
Ash was knowledgeable and super friendly. He didn’t make us rush through any part and was just great. He even took some photos throughout that we promptly received the next morning
The pictures don’t do it any justice and seeing the glowworms whilst sat in the dark is so surreal. Ash kindly takes photos of everyone as he has a knack for it to capture you AND the glowworms
1000000% recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightsee428397
Mar 23, 2025
A great tour, away from crowds! - It was a very unique and unforgettable experience on our second day in NZ, truly "off the beaten track", away from crowds, just 6 people in the group in the real cave environment! Many thanks to Ash!! He is a great and knowledgeable guide; he provides a lot of new interesting info and keeps you entertained at the same time. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mily818
Mar 20, 2025
Perfect way to adventure to see worms that glow! - Fabulous fun tour. Locally run family business and fully professional. Ash was a great guide and Michelle a great host. Perfect that they provided ALL the gear we needed. We learned lots, saw lots and it was a proper adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nomad66810535060
Mar 20, 2025
An Awesome adventure including glow worms - What a fantastic hike and glow worm tour.
Ash is a Awesome guide, he keeps you entertained and his knowledge of the caves means you will enjoy every moment.you get given clothes and boots to change I to so you get their clothes dirty and wet (that is an prefect idea of theirs).
We hiked down into the valley
We walked through cavernous caves and climber through and over rocks.
We trudged through the rive flowing through the cave
AND best of all we got to sit for ages and look at the glow worms (well worth the money)-most tours you see the glows for less than 5mins but with this tour you get to sit in the dark and your eyes are allowed to adjust and the magic of the glow worms really come to life.
Take your camera and you can take all the photos you want including glow the glow worms.
But if like me you don't to carry your phone e well you don't need to as Ash will take numerous ones of you throughout the trip (and you can ask for specific ones too and he will take them upon your request).and at the end of the hike the warm drinks and biscuits are perfect.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Efqm
Mar 20, 2025
If there is one cave experience you want to do, you have to make it this one - This was undoubtedly one of the best experiences we have done and we have done so many in lots of countries.
Let’s start from the beginning- the booking procedures were straightforward and easy through Get A Guide and we took the ‘pay a few days before’ option.
The directions to the site are important to follow so that you don’t end up at one of many other cave experiences. Down to Earth is well signposted.
On arrival the office is welcoming and the lovely Michelle signs you in, you are given the risks and meet the other members of the group. It’s a very small group (6) so plenty of time to get to know each other. We were introduced to Ash, who is the Cave expert and were given all of our gear to change into - it’s not a fashion show so embrace the clothing and wellies, it’s all part of the fun.
Safety briefing and checks to ensure the gear fits well before setting off on a short trek to the cave entrance. The leadership, knowledge, humour and general nice guy, Ash made this trip so interesting. Some of the climbing does require some clambering over and under rocks but it’s doable and Ash is sympathetic to everyone’s needs.
Plenty of rest points on the way and Ash ensures he takes some decent photos to send through later. Some really good ones with the glow worms in the background.
Coming out of the cave into daylight requires a slow, steady climb up to ground level on a series of wooden steps - take a breather every so often.
Thank you to the team here - we loved it and would recommend it to anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meander15542168658
Mar 15, 2025
A chance to climb and explore a cave in its' natural state. Nature up close! - Outstanding experience! Beautiful setting, friendly staff. Ash did an outstanding job guiding us through the cave. He was very attentive and accommodating. Magical tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camper39168186178
Mar 14, 2025
Best tour - I had an incredible experience on the cave tour, all thanks to Ash! The tour was so well-organized, and everything from the clean clothes to the spotless bathrooms exceeded my expectations. Ash really made the experience unforgettable—he was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole tour 10 times more fun. He answered all our questions with such enthusiasm, turning it into a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Their family story is truly amazing, adding a personal and meaningful touch to the tour. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for something amazing! Even at the end, they gave us a small snack, and Ash took the time to sit with us and have a chat, which made the experience even more special. Thank you to entire team!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure00708419019
Mar 6, 2025
Great Tour - This tour was simply outstanding. The tour company was professional, friendly and explained everything upfront. The guide was just amazing. He was knowledgeable, humorous, kept safety a primary consideration, and was very personable. I would recommend to all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bubbles187069
Feb 28, 2025
Fantastic Glowworm and Caving Experience - We had a fantastic experience with Ash. We were in a group of 6, so a really nice size.
I was a little nervous about the caving element as I am quite scared of heights. However, I felt really supported and wasn't rushed at any point.
The glowworms themselves were absolutely magical. We sat in the cave and they just started to slowly appear across the roof of the cave. It was really nice to be in a small group setting and see them in this environment, especially when it was explained that excess noise could disturb and stress them.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the experience. We wanted to do something off the beaten track and whilst the experience is obviously popular, it felt like this is what we got.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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